Faulty planning of new bridge led to collapse?

MUMBAI: Prima facie reports suggest the bridge on Savitri river in Mahad collapsed because the century-old structure could not withstand the high water currents

MUMBAI: Prima facie reports suggest the bridge on Savitri river in Mahad collapsed because the century-old structure could not withstand the high water currents after the heavy rain. However, issues with planning of the new bridge, which is parallel to the structure, too, may have worsened the situation.

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According to experts, the force of water can intensify, if the alignment of pillars of the new bridge is not exactly parallel to the old bridge. “A slight change in placement of new pillars creates a narrow passage for water, thus, increasing its force. This puts significant pressure on the pillars. Such a possibility cannot be ruled out in case of Mahad,” said Sudhir Badami, an expert.

Another expert, who wished not to be named, said the audit report might have failed to notice the potential danger to the bridge from the pressure coming from the water.

PWD minister Chandrakant Patil told the legislative assembly on Wednesday that the bridge was found to be structurally sound in the audit.

Meanwhile, a senior PWD official said, “The pillars of the both bridges were parallel to each other. However, we are going to conduct an inquiry into it.”

The official, however, failed to furnish anything on the certificate given to the bridge in the audit.

Interestingly, the PWD does not have information about the number of colonial-era bridges in the state. The unofficial figures, however, suggest the number is above 75-80.

Tarun Kant, adjunct professor in Indian Institute of Technology- Bombay (IIT-B), said the authorities should not have allowed traffic on the old bridge.

“The masonry bridge was built using stones, that too many decades ago. So it was liable to damage during floods,” he said.